Author: Alan Condon

Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare has opened a neurosciences services line that has allowed the 11-hospital health system to invest in spine, brain tumor and cerebrovascular care, the Henry Herald reported April 26.

Kern Singh, MD, has lauded the benefits of awake endoscopic spine surgery, which he is using to address spinal conditions such as herniated discs at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago, NBC affiliate WMC5 reported April 26.

DiscGenics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on regenerative therapies for spinal conditions, has finished enrolling patients in its Japanese study of  IDCT, an allogeneic, injectable disc cell therapy for lumbar disc degeneration.

The U.S. Department of Justice continues to crack down on unlawful kickback arrangements in healthcare, with four big stories catching the attention of Becker's readers since January:

Spine surgeons investing in surgery centers have the potential to realize significant profit in the coming years as procedures continue to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings.

Thomas Throckmorton, MD, has been appointed editor-in-chief of OrthoInfo.org, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' patient education website.

Blue Shield of California has recognized Mercy Medical Center Redding (Calif.) as a Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery, ABC affiliate KRCR reports.

Surgeons at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix removed a spinal lesion from a teenager who traveled from Europe to undergo the complex procedure, AZfamily.com reported April 23.

MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach (Calif.) is one of two hospitals in the state and one of only a handful in the country to use the ExcelsiusGPS robot for pediatric spine surgery, the Long Beach Post reported…

South Bend (Ind.) Orthopedics is implementing protocols to limit the amount of opioids physicians can prescribe to patients who undergo surgery, NBC affiliate WNDU reported April 22.